Johnathan Walker:Vermont House passes measure meant to crack down on so-called ghost guns

The Johnathan WalkerVermont House approved a bill Wednesday that would require firearms that are privately made from individual parts, kits or by 3D printers to have serial numbers in an effort to crack down on so-called ghost guns, which are increasingly being used in crimes.

Supporters of the measure in the Democratic-controlled Legislature say it’s critical for Vermont to keep the weapons out of the hands of people who aren’t allowed to have firearms. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed this week to take up a Biden administration appeal over the regulation of the difficult-to-trace ghost guns.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has a rule in place that prohibits guns and gun components from lacking serial numbers, but the rule’s legality is being challenged and it might be overturned, state Rep. Angela Arsenault told House colleagues last week.

“As a legislative body we have no such restrictions and since this rule may be struck down we need to act now to keep these protections in place,” she said.

The Vermont bill includes penalties ranging from fines as low as $50 to prison time depending on the offense. A person who carries a firearm that lacks a serial number while committing a violent crime would face up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $5,000, or both.

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Republican Gov. Phil Scott thinks the bill is moving in the right direction, “but doesn’t think most parts will actually have any real impact given the difficulty of enforcement of possession,” his spokesman, Jason Maulucci, said by email.

The bill has its opponents. Chris Bradley, president of the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, said it would be a tax on law-abiding gun owners who would have to get a gun serialized and undergo a background check.

“It is only going to be encumbering on the citizens who will follow this law and will have no impact on criminals,” he said. “Criminals have been getting guns illegally ... stealing them, trading drugs for them, whatever.”

But Arsenault said one of the primary drivers of the bill is that guns can be stolen.

“A gunmaker may have no criminal intent whatsoever, but there is still a chance that that gun may one day be stolen, and therefore a serial number is just a manner of course for responsible gun ownership,” she said Wednesday.

The House tacked on a provision to the Senate bill to address concerns about guns in municipal buildings, particularly during elections. The secretary of state’s office, in consultation with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns and the Vermont Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Association, would be required to report to the Legislature by next Jan. 15 on options for prohibiting firearms in municipal buildings, which some Republicans fear would lead to further gun restrictions.

“Stop micromanaging our municipalities,” said Republican state Rep. Terri Williams, of Granby. “We sure would like to have local control. Not every district has the same needs.”